Putschist Prosecutor Can't Outrun His Past

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Milliyet Newspaper, 7 September 2016)


   "...and you want to be my latex salesman."

In the scope of an operation directed against the FETÖ/PDY
(Fethullah Gülen Terror Organization/Parallel State Apparatus -
coup plotters),  police learned that Bayram Bozkurt, the former
public prosecutor of İliç district of Erzincan province, was
hiding out in a house in Bornova, İzmir.

When police raided the house Bozkurt tried to escape but broke
his foot in the process as he scaled an iron fence.  He was taken
to Ege University hospital for an operation and then to Menderes
District police station.

When he was the İliç public prosecutor, Bozkurt  testified as secret
witness 'Efe', whose allegations set the stage for the trial of İlhan
Caner, the former Erzincan public prosecutor, and 14 others, including
former 3rd Army Commander Lt. Gen. Saldıray Berk, as members
of the 'Ergenekon terror organization' (later debunked).


           Bozkurt's bad role model.

Bozkurt had been in Izmir for 4 months, hiding in the home of
businessman İsmail Özer, who himself is currently in custody as
a FETÖ/PDY suspect.  After giving his 'Efe' testimony, Bozkurt
had disappeared and then had aesthetic operations on his hair and
face to change his appearance.  He entered the witness protection
program and returned to duty as a prosecutor with a new name. His
wife, a pharmacist in the Health Ministry, also changed her identity.

While Bozkurt was the İliç public prosecutor a citizen named Bekir
Buran filed a complaint against him.  Then-Erzincan public prosecutor
Caner pursued the complaint and sent a report to the Justice Ministry
about Bozkurt.


İliç district is in far western Erzincan province.